Efficient charged aerosol generators may be fabricated in sizes from about 1 kilowatt up to the multi-megawatt range, covering the entire gamut of sizes required for various power requirements. Advantages of the charged aerosol electrothermodynamic devices are:
(a) High power density 0.1 to 50 megawatts/m.sup.2 PA1 (b) High power concentration 1 to 1000 megawatts/m.sup.3 PA1 (c) High power to mass ratio 10.sup.3 to 10.sup.5 watts/kg PA1 (d) A static device containing no moving parts except moving gases and liquids. PA1 (e) Low investment cost and maintenance costs per unit of power output PA1 (f) High reliability PA1 (g) Silent operation PA1 (h) Operation with conventional materials at temperatures up to 2500.degree. K. PA1 (i) Efficiencies up to 60 to 70% PA1 (a) The electrical output is limited by spark breakdown of the gas. However, the electrical intensity at breakdown can be increased by increasing the gas pressure, and utilizing suitable gases and spark inhibitors. PA1 (b) The charged aerosol creates a space charge, with the electrical potential increasing parabolically with distance, and reaching a maximum at a critical conversion space length. PA1 (c) The conversion space length is inversely proportional to charge density. PA1 (d) Lower voltages and higher current densities are obtained with shorter conversion lengths, which are of the order of millimeters. PA1 (a) Aerosols of high particle concentration of the order of 10.sup.16 particles per m.sup.3 were readily formed but almost immediately coagulated and condensed upon walls and pipes. PA1 (b) The lower concentration aerosol which we attempted to charge, required excessive ionizing power which was of the order of 40 times the output power. PA1 (a) The electrojet principle, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,191,077.sup.10. PA1 (b) The condensation principle shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,025.sup.11. PA1 (1) Marks was well ahead of the state of the art of electrothermodynamics PA1 (2) Previous funding was stated to be inadequate PA1 (3) The Department of Energy should immediately fund a 10 kW generator.
Extensive background work is described which gave rise to an understanding of the problems to which the present inventions provide the solutions needed to construct practical and useful ETD generators.